Zuan was stunned. That was your own disciple! You just killed him like that?
Looking at the long-haired woman with a cold expression, he realized that she was the legendary leader of the Demonic Sect who killed without blinking an eye.
The next day at court, ministers from the Crown Prince's faction quickly brought up the Cheng Gang case again, which naturally led to Cheng Xiong. The Qi King's faction firmly defended Cheng Xiong, while Cheng Gang could be appropriately abandoned.
Originally, the two sides would have engaged in some pointless verbal sparring, and in the end, everyone would have gone their separate ways.
Unexpectedly, officials from the Crown Prince's faction suddenly produced fatal evidence: the confessions of the previously captured assassins. They detailed how they used the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) to contact Cheng Xiong and his son, providing extremely detailed accounts.
At first, the officials of the Qi King's faction refuted the accusations, but they became increasingly powerless in the end.
Everyone knew that the assassins were captured first, and Cheng Gang's incident at the Jiaofangsi happened later. Unless General Guo Zhi of the Right Guard tipped them off, it was impossible for what the assassins said to match what was happening outside.
As everyone knows, Guo Zhi is the emperor's favorite, so suspecting him is tantamount to suspecting the emperor of framing Cheng Xiong.
Nobody would be that stupid!
Moreover, those assassins were already doomed, so what reason did they have to cooperate with Guo Zhi's story?
So in the end, the Qi King's faction also backed down. The bigwigs quickly exchanged glances. Since Cheng Xiong couldn't be protected, they could only settle for second best and cut off his connection with the Qi King so as not to involve the Qi King.
Clearly, the emperor did not intend to use this opportunity to directly harm Prince Qi, and a consensus was quickly reached in the court.
Cheng Xiong and his son colluded with assassins to plot the assassination of the Empress and the Crown Prince, and their entire family was to be executed.
Fortunately, the father and son depended on each other for survival, and there were not many members of their extended family.
The others involved were either killed or exiled to the frontier.
Zu'an and Yun Jianyue sat at the table, sipping tea and chatting. Yun Jianyue glanced at him and said calmly, "What's wrong? Feeling a little guilty?"
"I am a little uncomfortable." Zuan fell silent. As someone who had transmigrated from a civilized world, he still found it hard to accept the idea of exterminating entire clans so easily.
Yun Jianyue poured him a cup of tea: "That's how things are in this world. It's either you kill me or I kill you. If Cheng Xiong had succeeded in framing you the previous times, you would be the one whose clan would be exterminated now."
Zuan smiled bitterly and said, "But in a way, it wasn't exactly a setup. I did have some 'collusion' with you guys."
“Your way of thinking is a bit strange,” Yun Jianyue looked at him in surprise. “Cheng Xiong framed you not because he really knew you were connected to us, but because he just wanted to find a scapegoat. Even if you were innocent, he would most likely have chosen you. In the end, you and he are just pawns in the game between the emperor and the king of Qi. Your life and death are not in your own hands. You should be concerned with how to survive longer on the chessboard, not with the life and death of other pawns.”
Zu An's expression hardened: "I've learned a lot!"
Yun Jianyue chuckled lightly: "You only show me any respect at times like this."
Zu An was about to say something with a grin when suddenly Eunuch Wen's voice came from outside:
"Your Excellency, the Emperor summons you to the Imperial Study."
Zuan and Yun Jianyue exchanged a glance and hurriedly ran out.
On the way, he tentatively asked, "Eunuch Wen, why did the Emperor suddenly summon me?"
Eunuch Wen, without glancing to the side, said, "I have no idea about that."
Seeing that he didn't recognize him, Zu An was secretly furious. This guy was usually quick to collect things, but when something happened, he turned his back on people.
However, he immediately realized that the other party's attitude was a kind of hint.
As expected, Eunuch Wen walked ahead, his lips moving slightly: "His Majesty doesn't seem to be in good spirits today. Eleventh Lord, you must be careful in your dealings with him."
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